Communication, Language & Literacy

English AND Modern Languages

Meet the communication, language and literacy Team

The CLL team work very much together on English. Miss Maynes and Mrs Roberts take the lead with Modern Foreign Languages - French. Following staff development in Talk for Writing, the team are focusing this year in curriculum review and reading for pleasure, supported by Mrs Gordon's Reading Rocks blog.

The limits of my language means the limits of my world.

english

Included within each strand are different genres including poetry, non-fiction and literature; drama and the more technical aspects of our language: spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Phonics

In EYFS and Key Stage 1 phonics (linking sounds and letters) is taught systematically through the Oxford Floppy Phonics Scheme. Teaching letters and sounds systematically means linking children's oral, reading, spelling and written work so that English is learned as a language where the symbols and sounds together make meaning for decoding (reading) and encoding (writing). A systematic approach will enable most children to become more literate more quickly. As they grow in fluency and 'automaticity' children move from the earlier skills of learning to read and write to the more advanced skills of reading and writing in order to learn and communicate.

I don't know what I think until I say it.

Michael Rosen

Oracy is our first experience of language; from infancy children listen to their families talk to them, read stories and overhear conversations around them. As important as learning words and to speak, children's ability to listen is essential for them to thrive in school. Children used to listening to stories at home and joining in with conversations have a big advantage in school where they are able to listen effectively and are therefore able to learn from others and be articulate in lessons.

One of the best indicators of children's future success in education and adult life is the amount they read outside of school - reading for pleasure has a far bigger impact on a child's future than for success in tests at primary school. We expect every child to have read daily with an adult at home and check reading diaries. This page has links to some documents to support families with reading at home and suggested reading lists.

It is sad that too many children, once bringing home a book from school, not longer enjoys stories read to them at home. A daily story is important throughout the primary years as it enables children to understand and engage with books beyond their ability to decode but within their understanding. Being read to and reading to adults at home are equally important for children to achieve and become readers for pleasure.

And twenty minutes of sun.

Twenty old-favourite minutes.

Twenty minutes brand new.

Read to your bunny often.

And …

Your bunny will read to you.

Whence did the wond'rous mystic art arise

Of painting speech and speaking to the eyes?

That we by tracing magic lines are taught

How to embody and to colour thought.

William Massey

Writing is all about multi-tasking. Children have to think first of spoken language (what they want to communicate) and then remember their sentence while they are thinking about more technical things: handwriting, spelling and punctuation. Therefore some 'automaticity' will really help them enjoy writing to communicate with their teachers and other people:

A strong pincer/pencil grip - this can be developed through using play-doh, drawing, painting and building with lego as well as by writing.

Phonics - children with good phonic knowledge have more fluency when spelling, freeing up their thinking for super word choices.

Writers' language - children who are read to by an adult, read at home and join in conversations develop a good understanding of how sentences are structured.

Year 6 with Reception Buddies

Modern Languages

FRENCH

Children have weekly French lessons in Key Stage 2 and informal experience of the language from their first year in school. La Jolie Ronde Club Français is available for children from year 1 to play and learn a modern language in smaller groups.

English as an Additional Language - EAL

A minority of children live in homes where other modern languages are spoken. Some speak English as a second language. Please let us know if your child hears and / or speaks another language at home so that we can better support him/her in school.